Explosive hand-shell.



No 871,156. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

N. W. AASEN.

' EXPLOSIVB HAND SHELL,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 871,156. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

N. W. AASEN.

EXPLGSIVE HAND SHELL. APPLIOAINH FILED MAY 27,1907.

.' vertical thereto, Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sec-T UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

inis WALTERSENXAASEN, or patient, .NORWAY, ASSIGNOR TO RHEINISGHEMETALL- WAREN-UND MASOl-IINENFABRIK, ORDUSSELDORF-DERENDORF, GERMANY.

EXPLOSIVE HAND-SHELL.

enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to improvements in explosive hand shells; apd theob ect of the improvements is to provide a simple and re' liable meansto cause the explosion of the shell. v i

My invention. also relates to certain improved irieans whereby the fuseof the shell is protected from being accidentally fired.

A further important feature of the device is a support for the fuse ofthe shell to protectthe same when out of use and to insert the same atits proper-place within the body of the shell when the latter is to bemade ready for use.

My invention further consists in, certain details of construction setforth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention 1 have shown severalexamples of shells embodying the same, in drawings in which:

Figure'l is a partially sectional side view ,of a shell embi'idying theinvention, Fig. 2 is sectional view of a further example, Fig. 3 is abottom view, showing the construction of the steering tail, Fig. 4 abottom view of the body of the shell the shaft being removed, Fig. 5 isa longitudinal section of the. shaft showing an example of a lockingmechanism for the firing pin, Fig. 6 is alongitudinal section similar tothat of Fig. 5, but

tion of the shaft, showing a further example of the locking mechanism,l1g. 8 is a longitudinal section of the front part of the shaft havingthe fuse located therein and. covered by a protecting sleeve, Fig. 1)lSiL cross section of Fig. 8 taken on line (1- 1) and seen in thedirection of the arrow, Fig. 10 is aside view of the left side of Fig.8, Fig. l 1 is a longitlidinal section of a sleeve having a fuse locatedtherein, and Fig. .12 is a longitudinal section of the body of tlicshell with the fuse fixed outside the charge.

the accompanying Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed May 27,1907. Serialllo- 375.969.

,. Patented Nov. 19, 1907'.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the views.

The body 1 of the shell, which is to be filled with the charge, ispreferably" made of sheet iron. In the example shown it is sur- 6(rounded by a casing 2 within which an outer body of' splinters ,3, forexample incised pieces of flat iron of a suitable-size, arc'held intheir proper position. The body is provided with a wooden cover 4strengthened at its inner side by an iron plate 5. The cover is madewith a central openin'g6 (Fig. 4) having longitudinal grooves 7 atopposite sides. forming a guide .for two noses 8 provided at the frontend of a shaft sleeve 9,

whereby the latter, after being inserted withits front end through saidopening.6 and the grooves 7 and turned at, a small angle, as shownin'dotted lines in Fig, 4, will be caught with its noses 8 within twolateral sockets of the wooden cover near the iron plate 5. The plate 5carries the fuse the charge 10 which consists of mercury fulniinate andvgun pow der, and which for example is placed, with varnish, Within arevolver cartridge'shell 11 provided with a percussion cap 12. f

'In the example shown in Fig. 1., the whole shaft .13 with its steeringtail forms the firing rod. The shaft is preferably'inadeof barnboo. Atits front end itis rovided-with a bore 14 receiving a plug 15 Fig. 1)connect-v ed to the head 17 of'the firing rod by means of a pin 16. Thelatter formswith its front end the firing pin 18. [The shaft 13 and theshaft, sleeve 9 are locked to each otherby means of "a .key or" cotterv19 extending 4 through a bore 20 of 'the shaft and a slit 21 of thesleeve, .the slit 21 being long enough to permit of the necessarylongitudinal dis placement of the shaft with the firing in towards thesleeve and the fuse. At the ack of the sleeve there is a locking pin 22,whereby the saidlongitudinal displacement can be made im ossible. Thesteering tail 23 is preferab y made of cloth spread out by means of twosti'll' copper wires 24 (Fig.3), which, vet} I tically to each other,pass through the shaft near the end thereof, their free ends beingformed with eyes to which the four rear ends of 'the stcerii'ig tailare. sewed. Ordinarily, the said wires 24 are bent backwards, along theshaft, while, when the shell is to be used, they are bent outwards to sread ouhthe tail. The wires 24- are so rigid that they hold the tail inits spread outposition without fnrtlier 110 22 is withdrawn.

The stem 26 is heldat safe means bein re uired. The apparatus is I heldby a lockin held at its hand e by the right hand, the steering tail isspread out and the lockin pin N 0W the shell is rea y to be Hung, and onaccount of its steering tail it will move at aregular trajectory. Whenfalling on the ground or hitting another obstacle, the firing rod, thatis the rear part of the apparatus, will, on account of its energy, breakthe percussi n cap of the cartri ge by means of the firing pin 18 andthereby cause the ex )losion of the shell.

In Fi 2 have shown a further exam le of the shell in which the sleeve91's rigidlly connected with the shaft, and, in front of the end of theshaft, is provided with a short stem 26 carrying the firing pin 27 and alooking p'n 28. l

in igs. 5 and '6, I have illustrated amddlfication of the locking means,in which the firing rod is not released before being flung.

by a lever 29 extendin rearwardly within the hollow shaft 13 am? formedat its end with a loop 30, which is caught by a hook 31 secured to theouter side of the shaft and extending through a hole thereof. The hookisheldin its place by v he shaft 13 and the steering 34; Now the shell isflung.

' nail 36. the body a locking pin 32 having its rear end connected to astring 33 located within the rear part of the shaft. The string 33is'attaohed to a pin 34 which, by an outer loop 35, can be pul ed out.The shaft illustrated is secured to the body of the shell by means ofnoses 8 the constructionbeing the same in this res ect, as in theexample explained above.

sleeve are rigby means of a After having secured the shaft to of theshell and having spread out the steering tail, the soldier winds theloop 35 about his thumb and pulls out the plug The string 33 now unwindsitself its end being held back, and as soon as it is run out the lockingpin is, withdrawn from the shaft. The shell, which up to this moment waslocked, is therefore now unlocked, the firing stem being released bydisconnectin the bows 30 and 31. Ac-

length of the string 33 the cording to the shell is unlocked at adistance of 5, 10, 1501' idly secured to each other -more meters fromthe soldier 'flinging the same;

It can therefore not prematurely ex plode, which might happen forexample when it falls'involuntarily on the ground, or, when ithitscagainst the parapet of other ob-' jects within a" certain distancefrom the soldier.- i i In Fig. 7 I have shown the same unlocking meansof a-sheil in combination with a firing stegn secured to a'inovableshaft, as in the example illustrate-d in Fig. 1. In this case thesteering sleeve is provided with a rearwardly extending lever 37, therearward hit extends 1nto the hollow' shaft 1% through a hole thereof,where it is mounted in said sleeve, '9.

In Figs. 8-12 l have shown several exmnples, how the fuse may be mountedoutside the char e... In the examples showni n Figs. 8 to 10 t 1e guidesleeve 9 is provided, at its front, with a bottom 39 carrying tlw'fuse1 1. l he cartridge is mounted on the bottom by meanspf ,a shoulder 41and a'nose -10, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. It is preferably sur roundedby a protecting casing. 42 which is connected to the s eeve 9 by meansof a bayonet-catch 4-3 and its noses 8. Before flinging the shell, thecasing 4-2 is removed, and the shaft is mounted on the shell in the sameway as dcsiiribed before. In the we ample shown in Fig. 11, thecartridge 10, 1 1

where 1t'1s locked by means of spring tongue 50. At the opposite end,there is a slide rod 51?, extending from the sleeve. in this example,the nuichanism is SW ured to the shaft. and preferably within thesteering tail. by means of a wire, or the like. In order to make theshell ready for use, the sleeve 49 is put into the opening of the bodyof the shell, whereafter the-cartridge is pushed into its properposition by means of the slide rod 51. in Fig. 12,. the cartridge 1] isshown as placed, within a wooden sleeve 44, from which a stem 45 extendsinto the opening of the body of the shell n'ovided for the cartridge,when the wooden sleeve is secured to the body of the shell by means ofthe noses 46. The sleeve is closed, at its outer end, by a plug 47'having an outer releasing bow 48. When it is desired to fling the shell,the sleeve 4-4: and its stem 45 are first removed and the plug 47 iswithdrawn.- Now the sleeve is inserted into the body of the shell withits opcneml and the cartridge is pushed is located within a specialmetallic casing 494,

into its proper )ositioll by means of the stem 45. l The W001 cusleevedi is removed and the shaft is inserted.

.llavmg now part cularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to he pcrformed, I declare thatwhat I claim is:

I. In a hand explosive shell, the combination, with the body of theshell receiving the explosive charge, and a steering shaft, connectedwith said body, .of a firing pin slidably supported nt-hm said shaft anda fuse of said firing pin. I

2. In a hand explosive shell, the combination, with the body of theshell receiving the explosive charge, mounted on said body, a steel-in rshaft firing pin. zilidably .of a sleeve detachablv iocated with itspercussion cap in the path limit supported Within said sleeve, and afuse located with its percussion'cap in the path of said firing pin.

. 3. In a hand explosive shell, the 'c0mbination, with the body of theshell receiving the explosive charge, and a steering shaft, connectedwith said body, of a firing pin slidably supported within said shaftmeans to lock said firing pin in' itsretracted position and a fuselocated withits percussion cap in the path of said firing pin.

path of saidfiring pin '5. Ina hand explosive shell, the coinbination,with the body of the shell receiving the explosive'charge,

and 'a steering shaft connected'with said body, of a' firing pinslidably sup'portedwithin said loopconnection engaging said iiring pinand normally locking the same, a string adapted to be held by theoperator and-to bring said loop and hook connection out of engagecap inthe path of said firing pin.

shaft, a hook and 6. In a hand explosive shell, -the combination, withthe body of the shell receiving the explosive charge, and a steeringshaft connected with said body, supported within said shaft, a loopconnected wit said firing pin, an automatically retracted hook normallenga ing said loop, a pin adapted to loci: said ook and loop relativelyto each other, a string connected to said pin and adapted tobe held bythe operator and to Withdraw said locking pin from its lockingengagement with said hook and loop, and a fuse located with itspercussion cap in the path of said firin pin. 7. In a hand explosiveshell, the combination, with the body of the shell receiving theexplosive charge, and a steerin movably connected with said bor y, of afir in pin slidably supported within said shaft, a use located with itspercussion cap-in the ath of said firing pin, and releasable ineans orholding said firing pin in retracted position.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

NIELS l/VAIPERSEN AASEN.

W'itnesses:

RICHARD STOKKE, Mocnns BUG-GE.

of milling pin slidablyshaft re-

